Emirates Skywards DIB Platinum Covered Card
5,000 bonus Skywards Miles on activation
at Dubai Islamic Bank's secure site
Sharia-compliant covered card. Terms apply. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
"This is the honest budget option in DIB's Skywards family — 525 flat, an unconditional 5,000-mile hello, and Miles that land straight in Skywards. Treat it as a starter card: the earn pace is slow, there's no lounge or tier, and if you actually fly Emirates a few times a year the Signature repays its higher fee quickly."
Earning and redeeming Skywards Miles
Rates are quoted per USD 1 equivalent (about 3.67): 1 Mile on Emirates spend, up to 0.75 on foreign-currency spend and up to 0.5 on local spend. The carve-outs matter — EEA merchants earn 0.3, and a long list of everyday categories (government, supermarkets, utilities, insurance, cars, education, fuel, real estate, telecom, transport) earns just 0.15 Mile per USD. Government spend stops earning past 25,000 per statement, and DIB-platform bill payments, charity, crypto and money transfers earn nothing.
There's no bank portal or transfer step: Miles post to your Emirates Skywards account within 48 hours, where you spend them on Emirates flights, upgrades and partners. At this tier the supporting cast is thin but useful — US$100,000 family travel cover when flights go on the card, the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection, and 0% three-month instalments on Emirates tickets over 500.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee
- 525 flat every year (incl. VAT; page advertises 500 ex-VAT) — no first-year discount, no waiver
- Welcome offer
- 5,000 bonus Skywards Miles on card activation, one-time, no spend condition
- Profit rate
- Up to 3.69% per month (Salam-based structure, approved by DIB's Sharia committee)
- Minimum salary
- 10,000 per month
- International usage fee
- 3.70% on non- transactions; 3.14% on -denominated transactions processed abroad
- Cash withdrawal fee
- 3.15% of the transaction amount
- Late payment
- 236.25 per instance — a charity donation routed through the bank under Sharia supervision, not bank income
- Minimum payment
- 5% of the principal balance or 100, whichever is higher
- Supplementary cards
- Free
- Card network
- Visa Platinum
Figures verified against DIB's Schedule of Charges (effective 11 Aug 2026, VAT-inclusive) and the DIB Covered Cards Key Facts Statement (Aug 2026). Always confirm on dib.ae before applying.
Card benefits
US$100,000 travel cover
Travel and medical cover for you, your spouse and up to 4 children under 18 when flight tickets are booked on the card — including baggage and missed-departure benefits.
0% Emirates instalments
Convert Emirates tickets over 500 bought on emirates.com into a 3-month Easy Payment Plan at no profit charge.
Visa Luxury Hotel Collection
Member privileges at 900+ luxury hotels: preferential rates, upgrades, free breakfast, VIP status and a US$25 F&B voucher.
Roadside assistance, 2x a year
Towing, battery boost, flat-tyre help, fuel delivery and off-road pull-out across the UAE, plus a free international driving licence.
Medical & legal referral
24/7 phone medical advice, provider referrals, medicine delivery and legal or interpreter referrals wherever you travel.
Balance transfer facility
Move other banks' card balances to a Sharia-compliant structure through DIB Online Banking with no documentation.
Pros and cons
- Cheapest way into Skywards earning at a fully Islamic bank — 525 a year, flat
- 5,000 bonus Miles on activation with no spend condition attached
- Miles land straight in your Emirates Skywards account within 48 hours
- US$100,000 travel and medical cover for the family when flights go on the card
- Sharia-compliant Salam structure, with late payment handled as a charity donation rather than bank income
- No airport lounge access, no Skywards tier, no airport transfers — the travel perks live higher up the range
- Modest earn: 0.5 Mile per USD 1 at home means roughly 7 of spend per Mile
- 3.70% international usage fee is roughly double what conventional Skywards co-brands charge
- Everyday categories — supermarkets, fuel, utilities, telecom, education — earn just 0.15 Mile per USD
- The 5,000-mile bonus is small — barely a start toward a reward flight
Is it right for you?
Get this card if
- You want Skywards Miles inside Islamic banking and 525 a year is your ceiling.
- You earn around 10,000 a month — the Signature and Infinite bars are out of reach anyway.
- You fly Emirates once or twice a year and mainly want the travel cover and 0% ticket instalments.
Consider skipping it if
- You expect lounge access or a Skywards tier — neither exists at this level.
- Your spending is mostly supermarkets, fuel and bills — 0.15 Mile per USD barely moves the needle.
- You spend a lot in foreign currency — the 3.70% international usage fee eats the 0.75x earn rate.
Alternatives to consider
50% faster earning, 8 lounge visits and a 30,000-mile bonus for 735 a year from year two — the better deal for anyone flying more than twice a year.
Best Emirates Skywards cards →
DIB's Consumer Cashback Platinum pays cash back on the everyday categories this card penalises — groceries, fuel, bills and school fees.
Best cashback cards →
DIB's Prime Platinum is free for life — no Miles, but no 525 bill either. The right call if the card is mainly for payments, not perks.
Best no-annual-fee cards →Not sure which way to go? Put them side by side in our card comparison tool or browse the full ranked list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the welcome bonus on the Emirates Skywards DIB Platinum Card?+
5,000 bonus Skywards Miles on card activation — a one-time bonus for new cardholders, with no spend condition attached.
What is the annual fee on the Emirates Skywards DIB Platinum Card?+
AED 525 per year (VAT-inclusive) per DIB's Schedule of Charges, the same every year; the bank's page advertises the ex-VAT figure of AED 500.
Is the Emirates Skywards DIB Platinum Card Sharia-compliant?+
Yes. DIB is a fully Islamic bank and this is a covered card built on the Sharia principle of Salam with an Investment Wakala account, approved by DIB's Internal Sharia Supervision Committee. The monthly profit rate is up to 3.69%, and late payment triggers a charity donation of AED 236.25 rather than a penalty fee to the bank.
What is the minimum salary for the Emirates Skywards DIB Platinum Card?+
AED 10,000 per month — the lowest in DIB's Emirates Skywards range.
How many Skywards Miles does the card earn?+
Per USD 1 equivalent spent: 1 Mile on Emirates spend, up to 0.75 Mile on foreign-currency spend, and up to 0.5 Mile on local spend. EEA merchants earn 0.3 Mile, and everyday categories like supermarkets, fuel, utilities, education and telecom earn a reduced 0.15 Mile. Miles reach your Skywards account within 48 hours.
Does the Platinum card include airport lounge access?+
No — lounge access starts at the Signature tier of DIB's Skywards range. The Platinum card's travel perks are the US$100,000 travel cover, the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection and the 0% Emirates Easy Payment Plan.
Does the card include travel insurance?+
Yes — up to US$100,000 of travel and medical cover for you, your spouse and up to 4 children under 18 when you book flight tickets on the card, including emergency medical, baggage delay or loss, missed departure and personal liability cover.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.